Fake Realistic Lightning post process effect

[RejZoR]

I was working with Paint.NET image editor, searching for post processing effects to enhance image fidelity in terms of more realistic colors, better color vibrance and better shading on existing quality or rather existing objects/image.
And i found one (sounds like Top Shop TV commercials doesn't it? :P )

Link to my Paint.NET Fake Realistic Lightning effect tutorial:
http://paintdotnet.12.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=864

Ok, now the point of this is not promotion of Paint.NET (even though i like it alot) but the effect i got from it.

It's certanly a post processing stuff and also results are pretty good (the Delta Goodrem example is maybe a bit too vibrant since i used pretty high values to make difference more obvious. The next example made using Tomb Raider - Legend pre-render is another story and it actually comes very close to NextGen Content feature in game itself with probably very low overhead compard to NextGen option which is a killer even for best systems avaialble to date. Remember, it's just post process effect!

Normal render:
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/1628/laranormal1cb.jpg

Normal render + Fake Realistic Lightning (FRL value 128):
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/9480/larafrl0bq.jpg

You may open each image in it's own browser tab and switch between each other to see the obvious difference better...

Ok, this was bugging me for so long that i had to ask (i'd ask directly to NVIDIA but don't have a clue who to contact).

Is there a possibility to apply such effect in real-time to a rendered 3D scenery? I see NVIDIA is pretty good with such realtime post processing stuff (Digital Vibrance, Image Sharpening...).
It would be really awesome to see such thing along with already existing DV and IS features. An option to upgrade all games available to date with improved lightning and colors. Slider like the one for Digital Vibrance to adjust the strenght of effect is a logical thing along this thingie ;)
All i was afraid is that it would not be possible to use it in real-time.

So if you can forward this thing to NVIDIA or just discuss it, please do so :)
WHo knows, maybe NV guys we'll see this and be able to impliment it in upcoming G80 series :D
What do you think?

[agentkay]

More constrast and a touch more saturation. You should be able to archive that effect by adjusting your screen, and/or with the Nvidia Control Panel. The Color Correction tab has already a build-in profile system, perfect for setting up different profiles for different games.

[RejZoR]

No, it's prety hard to achieve such results. Changing Contrast comes close but not the same. It's simply different. Where with Max Contrast you get orange and black you get shaded colors with FRL. Also dark areas just get even more dark.
While they also get darker with FRL they stay nicely visible.

I'll test some more but i doubt i'll get such results...

[agentkay]

Don´t get me wrong, I´m all for Nvidia further improving their post processing effects, especially if they don´t eat any performance and only little to no transistors.

Edit: BTW, I´m very very close to that effect when I put the DV slider in the middle position between "off" and "low" and raise the contrast to "110%". I´m using a LCD screen connected thru DVI.

[RejZoR]

I tried but it's far from FRL effect. Dark elements just get even darker while bright ones get way to overbrighted, and in this case i also lost visibility of certain details (like those 3 thingies under the gun chambers).
They are visible using FRL, but got blended with black when increasing contrast (decreasing below zero just makes even more artificial and grayish).

Actually i don't even have a clue what Paint.NET does when you apply this filter.
Must be some sort of pixel comparison because it's blended over 2 layers.